TWENTY-five firefighters battled to stop a fire sparked by cinders from a steam train from spreading to forestry near Beddgelert.

Huge flames quickly took hold of grass and fences and left over 100 acres yesterday completely black and burnt.

North Wales Fire Service last night confirmed the raging blaze had been started by sparks from the train.

Sixty passengers were forced off the train near Pitt's Head – a crossing near a rock that is said to resemble William Pitt the Younger – after flames were spotted by the driver and crew.

Despite their best efforts they failed to extinguish them and had to call the fire service.

The blaze started on the new four-mile stretch of the Welsh Highland Railway between Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert which only opened 12 days ago in a show of publicity.

Two crews of firefighters from Caernarfon, and one each from Porthmadog, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Conwy quickly got to the location and eventually managed to extinguish the flames which were fanned by winds.

They brought it under control after 3pm by using water pumps and beaters.

Porthmadog fire station manager Dafydd Llewelyn said that at one time they had thought of calling up one of their high-volume pumps to help out after the flames came close to igniting a whole forest nearby.

Mr Llewelyn said: "I can confirm that sparks from the train started the fire. People had to get off and told us how it had started, probably from cinders.

"It was difficult to get water to the field. The firefighters did a great job."

Mr Llewelyn warned the public to be particularly careful of starting fires accidentally in the dry weather as grass and gorse fires can spread quickly, endangering lives and destroying property.

The land’s owner, farmer Philip Hughes, 61, of Ffridd Uchaf, Rhyd Ddu said: "There was a front of fire travelling across our land. I know it was ignited by the train. Around 100 acres of land and fenceposts have been destroyed. Part of the land is within an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

"The train stopped, the passengers came off. We helped the firefighters to get access. It’s burned an awful lot. We were worried about our sheep which we had to move. It’s lucky I was home. Somebody has to pay for the damage."

Mr Hughes estimated the damage at thousands of pounds.

"The train has only being going a few weeks. It’s not a good start."

WHR general manager Paul Lewin said he couldn’t confirm that the fire had been started by their train, but they would investigate the cause.

He said: "At the moment, I don’t know."

The railway line has received millions of National Assembly grants and it is WAG which owns the forestry nearby. A spokeswoman couldn’t comment.